Care
by ThatFangirlHybridSuperhero
Summary: Hayes gets the flu, Connor cares enough to take care of her, even if she is a pain in his ass. One shot.


She's alone.

It's 2am and everyone else is at home sleeping. The office is deafeningly quiet, and Hayes can hear the pounding of her own heart, hear the blood rushing to her ears. She can hear everything except for the footsteps approaching her.

He speaks at the same time as his hand lands on her shoulder "Hayes?"

She curses internally and slowly raises her aching neck, angles it so Connor Wallace, the world's biggest pain in the ass appears next to her. He's clad in gym gear, iPod earphones poking out from underneath his shirt. She blinks once, twice, three times and his face just about swims into view. "What the hell are you doing here at 2am, I thought I was coming in here to tell Sam to go home."

There's a witty comment in her brain but by the time she opens her mouth to make some sort of reply, the wittiness is gone, dizziness and nausea preventing any sound leaving her mouth but a small groan, her head finding the desk once more.

"Have you been drinking?" He asks, because of course that's what anyone who knew her would assume when they find her passed out at 2am in a dark office. She can practically hear him think the next question before he says it. "Hayes, have you taken something?" Connor Wallace is a judge-y little thing but beneath the annoyance is worry. Still, she can't help trying to annoy further, it's a talent of hers, acquired from a life in the spotlight and being the problem child of the family.

"What would you do if I told you I had Wallace?" She asks, head once again raised from the desk, "Would you let me go to prison?"

Hayes is baiting him, but he doesn't bite. "I think that if you had taken something then right now I would be calling the paramedics because you look like crap."

Oh, he does care. There's a sigh as he crouched down next to her, "What's going on Hayes, you're clearly not here for work." His hand finds his way onto her arm and Connor manages to answer his own question. "You're hot."

That earns a snigger form Hayes, a tired smile just about. "That's not the first time you've said that to me, watch it Wallace, lawsuit for workplace sexual harassment is coming your way."

He's even more annoyed now, the back of his hand gliding across her pulsing forehead as he recoils it in horror. "Jesus Christ this isn't funny, you're burning up."

He thinks back to earlier in the day, trying to remember the point where Hayes became ill. She arrived late (as usual) and without make up (not so usual). Sam had rolled his eyes as she basically fell through the door, Tess had made a comment about her looking good even without make up and whilst he was stood in the door way he remembers shaking his head, the dark shadows under her eyes that he had presumed had been from a late night had clearly been something else. That was at 10am. It was a half day at the office for some event later on so that meant it closed at 2pm.

"How long have you been sat here?"

She shrugs, "I can't remember, I remember Sam leaving but it was still light out then."

Her eyes are bright and even Wallace can see she is at her most vulnerable, disorientated and sick. It worries him how long she's been alone here and why she hadn't called someone for help.

"Why didn't you call someone?"

"Who would I call, you assumed from just looking at me I was drunk or on something, what makes you think anyone would have come to rescue Hayes Morrison the train wreck that just keeps happening?" Her eyes are no longer just bright, tears spring from the corners, dripping onto the desk below.

Connor doesn't know what to say, just looks at his watch that tells him it's almost 3am and then back to Hayes, who looks like she can barely stand. He knows what to do. "I'm going to take you home, you can't stay here all night, let's go."

It's with a forceful tug that she's on her feet and as the blood rushes straight to her head, the only thing that keeps her upright is her bosses delightfully toned arms. There are black spots clouding her vision as Hayes steadies herself against the desk and almost immediately she finds herself sliding back down, Connor's grip tightening as his arms snake around her waist. "You're really not good, I thought for a few moments you were putting it on a little."

She laughs, a humourless sound that clearly symbolises her current mood. "Of course I just really enjoy sitting in the office at 2am on my own when I could be in bed dreaming sweet dreams about Enrique, the delightful man I met yesterday getting coffee on my way into the office."

It's a deflection and he knows it, a deflection away from her obvious weakness. Hayes Morrison was never weak. "I need your keys."

 _Keys, where the hell are her car keys?_ Hayes points towards her bag, thrown haphazardly across the table, "They're in there."

He looks towards the bag, centimetres out of reach then back towards Hayes, who is still leaning into him, eyes shut now, dark circles visible. Connor can't imagine that she can stand for long so instead of finding the keys immediately he reaches for the bag and swings it over his shoulder. That makes her chuckle, the thought of her ex lover and current boss with her purse. She feels his arms tighten around her, "Let's go Hayes."

It's a tiring journey down to the parking lot. They're on the top floor and her office is the furthest from the elevator. She wobbles in her too high heels and when they eventually get into the elevator and he props her against the wall whilst he retrieves the car keys, she realises she has the overwhelming urge to vomit. There's 24 more floors to go and she may not make it all the way. Connor is saying something to her but the words are muffled, the drumming in her ears load and her one focus being not to vomit.

 _Hayes, look at me. Hayes, are you ok?_

All questions go unanswered as she feels the burn at the back of her throat, sick coating her mouth.

When the elevator doors finally open to the outside world, or rather the underground parking, there is a split second for her to run to the corner before she wretches. Over and over again. It's disgusting, unladylike and a reminder that she will never help her mother try and win a campaign ever again. It is also a reminder that she will never miss her flu jab again. She can't stop being sick, doesn't stop until there is nothing in her stomach and even then the wrenching continues for a few minutes.

She can feel warm hands on her back and a tug on her hair as her head droops slightly. It goes quiet as she finally catches her breath. "Are you done?" He asks.

Hayes not quite sure if she actually manages a yes but he gets the message and the next thing she knows, she's sat in the passenger seat of her car and the engine comes roaring to life. "Is your brother in town?"

"No."

He sighs, "Do you have flu drugs at home?"

"Not unless you count that Coke I have hidden in with my underwear."

He hopes she's joking. With another sigh it's then he makes the decision that as a decent human being he can't possibly leave her alone at home with no medication. He remembers back to Chicago and not once can he recall her being so sick. He's about to ask her how she managed to get the plague when he realises that she has passed out. Whether through exhaustion or illness he can't tell but it's 2.58am and he would like to get some sleep before his 10am meeting.

The car pulls up outside of Hayes' house, the engine is turned off and there's a moment of silence as Connor sits there contemplating what to do next. She was his friend, one of his oldest friends and despite their complicated and messy past there was no way he could make himself rouse her from sleep. Instead he unbuckles her, scoops her up and takes her straight into the house. The stairs are a challenge but they get there eventually and when Hayes is finally deposited onto her bed, he breathes.

There a pyjamas laid out already and he thinks that if he wakes her now she can manage to change into them. "Hayes, I'm going to get you some medicine, do you think you could change while I'm gone? I'll only be a few minutes."

She groans but nods.

Fifteen minutes later he's back to the house, bag in hand filled with flu medicines. There's a moment of pleasant surprise when he spots her changed out of her office clothes, followed by even more surprise by her bare face and minty fresh breath. "Feeling better?" He asks, because she's lying on her side in the bed, staring out of the window.

There's a pause as she rolls to face him. "By feeling better do you mean not actively vomiting because in that case, sure."

He laughs and holds up the bag, "I have legal drugs for you."

"Great."

She takes the tablets without arguement, but when it comes to opening the bottle of water to wash them down her shaking and clumsy hands can't manage it. He takes pity and does it for her.

Finally at almost 4am she is falling asleep, Connor Wallace hovering above her, a question on his lips. She can tell. "Spit it out Wallace."

"You...are definitely not well and I don't want to leave you alone tonight, imagine how it would look for me if you died and I had to give Sam your job."

She rolls her eyes, "I have a guest room down the hall."

He nods, "Right."

Connor goes to leave until her voice stops him, "Thank you Connor." She almost whispers. _Connor_. She had called him by his first name for the first time in years. It puts a smile on his face.

Goodnight Hayes, he thinks, but the words never leave his mouth.

...

He leaves her in bed the next morning, a glass of water, pills and a note left on the bedside table. It's a short note but the message is clear; stay away from the office. He leaves at 8.30, with enough time to uber back to his own apartment, change and get into the office for 9.30. He makes a quick detour on the way there to see how the CIU was getting on with their latest case. Sure enough, the whole team is gathered around in a conference room waiting for Hayes. They're used to her late arrivals and just get on with it without her. It makes him smile and shake his head at the same time because she should be making a little more effort, especially when the spotlight is firmly on her.

Heads look up when he enters the office. "Good morning everyone." He greets, before taking a seat, Hayes' seat. Tess shares a look of confusion with Frankie and Sam perks up, clearly thinking his promotion is coming earlier than expected.

Tess speaks up before Connor even gets a chance to explain, "Good morning sir, it's really nice to see you, but where's Hayes?"

"Hayes has the flu, she's at home getting better."

Sam laughs, "Are you sure she's not just recovering from a night out?"

Connor nods, "I'm positive that she's actually sick Sam, you can go and take her some soup if you really want to check."

That shuts him up, and the rest of the team get on with their work again as Wallace excuses himself to a meeting and leaves them to get on with it.

When he calls back to her apartment later that day she's feeling better and for the second time in 24 hours she calls him Connor.

 _Thank you for caring Connor._

.


End file.
